Secrets and Misery

TWO

CHAPTER 2

It was our first Monday in Hogwarts and like every year we had a new DADA teacher. This year's teacher was Professor Lupin. I was actually excited for a decent Professor for once.

"I never thought I'd say this but I want to learn something today." Said Fred.

"Well, that is a first." I said as we got in the classroom, I noticed immediately that all the desks were pulled back and the classroom looked bigger than it ever did. "What is this new arrangement, by the way?"

"Why are you asking us, we are not Professors." Said George.

"Welcome everyone,"Said a voice I didn't recognize, we all turned to the source of the sound and, from the table in the Great Hall, I recognized Professor Lupin. "I had a talk with Professor Dumbledore and from what he told me, the last two years hadn't been the best in terms of academic achievements, not because of you but because of your teachers. So, I arranged this class for something from previous years but we are going to make it... fun."

Everyone was looking at each other. Sure last year with Lockhart we hadn't learned anything, and I can't say I understood much from Quirrell, so yeah he was absolutely right.

"I'll need a volunteer,"He turned to Lee as if he was expecting him to volunteer. "Jordan, is it?"

"Yeah, Lee Jordan." Lee said.

"Great, well I'll need your help, tell me what scares you the most?" Asked Lupin.

Lee thought for a while and then answered in a whisper.

"What? Can you speak up a little?"

"The Death" Eaters.

"Umm, ok. Can you imagine one Death-Eater..." After that, I couldn't hear anything Professor Lupin was whispering to Lee. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah, I think." Said Lee.

Professor Lupin then approached the cupboard at the other end of the room from us. "One, two, three!" He let it open and something came out of it. It took me a second but there was a Death-Eater in the classroom. Then Lee shouted out of nowhere.

"Riddikulus!"

And suddenly the Death-Eater changed into this ridiculous outfit and was dancing like a silly man, it was really funny. Everyone was laughing.

"This is one of my favourite spells, can someone tell me what that was?" Professor Lupin said.

I raised my hand and he gave me the word. "That was a Boggart sir, Boggart's shape-shifts into whatever form most frightens the person who encounters it. That is really the reason they are so terrifying."

Professor Lupin spoke again. "Exactly Ms Mckinnon. Boggarts are scary but fortunately for us, there is a very simple charm to repel them, just like Mr Jordan did a few minutes ago. Repeat after me: Riddikulus!"

"Ok, form a line, come on form a line." We all stopped and formed a line in the middle of the room, Fred and George after me. "I want everyone to picture the thing they fear the very most and turn it into something funny." As he finished this last sentence he had put on some music.

I turned to the front, walking two steps to Boggart who was still trying to find what scared me the most. It finally landed on something I wasn't expecting... my father. But not like everyone knew him, not as he looked in the Daily Prophet's paper, but instead as my mother had once told me he could look like when she was explaining why I could also change into something that not everyone could.

In front of me, a big black dog was barking. I couldn't think of what would make him seem funny but I knew I needed to think fast. No one seemed to understand why that was my biggest fear but I could, I knew who he really was after all.

Think fast, Elle, you need something. now!

I raised my wand. "Riddikulus." I tried but nothing happened. I tried again and again but all that I managed was to form a tear in my eye. Why wasn't I able to do it like everyone else?

"Try clearing your head, then try again. Do not forget to speak loud and clear." Said Professor Lupin.

I raised my wand in the air once more. I did as I was told and cleared my head. I thought of something nice and calming, after all, I could not bring myself to think of something funny regarding my father.

"Riddikulus!" When I cast the spell correctly the terrifying big, black dog turned into a peaceful one. This dog was not alone but in the company of a smaller one. The two were playing around, the big one chasing the smaller one. It was like father and daughter, but who was I to know? I stepped out of the line and tried to forget about him.

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Thankfully I got myself together for my next class: Magical Creatures. This Year was special because Hagrid was teaching it.

He made us gather on the outside of the Forbidden Forest. We all looked at the creature in front of us. A beautiful hippogriff.

"'is name's Buckbead." Said Hagrid while he gave him something to eat. "who wants to ride 'im?"

Sacredly I took a single step forward. I regretted my choice the second after.

"Great, come 'ere." I did what Hagrid told me and soon enough I was on top of Buckbeak flying around Hogwarts.

It all looked beautiful and peaceful from up there. Nothing to worry about, no one to judge you.

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That night I could not sleep. I didn't want to know what time it was, I just wanted to clear my head so I could get a good night's sleep. I looked out the window. The moon was really pretty and calming, but still I could not manage to sleep.

Once out of my bed, I thought it would be nice to go on a walk or just go sit in the common room and watch as the fire burned the logs under it. The staircases felt longer than usual and the common room felt somehow homelier. Apparently, I was not the only one who could not go to sleep today. In the middle couch on its right end, there was someone. I took a few steps to get a closer look at them.

"Hello, Fred." I said. We might not have the best relationship but I still know how to tell them apart.

"I didn't know you could look any worse than you normally do." He said as he looked at my sleeping face.

"As if you looked better than me."

"You have obviously not looked at yourself in the mirror for a fair ten years."

"Of course Fred, how did you know? I will be heading out, clearly, I am disturbing your aura."

"It was nice being alone with the fire, thanks for showing yourself the exit."